Full floating axle assembly



\ Aug. 25, 1936. P. E. BAKER FULL FLOATING AXLE ASSEMBLY Original FiledJan.r20, 1931 A YQ n. o m u Ww l w W A f 5 ,m .A w A l ,.w f p $1.1 a A\\\\\\\\\\\\\q yl\ Y N N 3%@ 2 PI G i Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED.STATES PATENT ori-"1er:

FULL FLoA'rlNG am .Assur Paul E.` Baker, Detroit, Mich.,

Wheel Company, Philadelphia,

tion of Pennsyl original application January ze, 1931, serial No.

509,967. Divided and this applieadon Novembeiz, 1935, sei-a1 No. 41.954

11 claims. w1. sos-211) to design a hub and mounting therefor for usein.

connection with a full oating axle which is adapted to havemountedthereon wheel bodies manufactured for use in connection with axles andmountings of other types.. Such wheels are usually of too small innerdiameter to be received upon hubs designed for mounting upon fulloatving axles. -I havev devised a hub and axle connection which is morelcompact than those of the prior art and which retains itscharacteristics of simplicity and strength. The present application is adivision of my prior copending application,

'.Ser. No. 509,967, and is directed particularly to the bearingstructure itself.

Other objects and advantages of my invention relate to the production ofa full oating hub and axle bearing arrangement which is of simple formand in which the parts can be readily assembled and retained in theirassembledrelationship.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from areading ofthe sub-joined specication in the light of the attacheddrawing,

in which,

Figure i is a central axial sectional view through my improved axle, huband wheel illustrating my bearing arrangement and hub and axleinterconnection.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2 2 -of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, ythe numeral Iindicatesl an axle housing adapted to receive -a driving axle II whichhas splines on its outer end as indicated at I2. A sleeve cap or othermemberlivis splined complementally, to the splines I2, uponthe axle andis adapted to be received upon thel axle splines.l This sleeve isprovided upon its outer periphery with a radially extending ange I4adapted to be secured to a hub I5 which in turn mounts the vehicle wheelbodies. The main body of the hub 'I5 consists of an annular body portionI6 which is provided centrally with a. radially extending iiange I1against which a wheel body 2| is adapted to be seated at one side andagainst which, at the other side, is seated a brake drum head 4I'. Aplurality of studs I8 project axially outwardly from thehub flange andare adapted to coact with suitable nuts I9 and 20 of known type insecuring a wheel body in place, the wheel body in the present caseconsisting of a pair o! duplicate discs 2| provided with suitableapertures adapted to receive the studs I8. The studs I8 have additionalnuts 42 at their opposite ends arranged for securing the brake drum headIl to the hub ange I1.

So far as described above, my axle and hub are of conventional design.My invention relates to these parts and effects a. more compactarrangement thereof than any known in the prior art in order that wheelbodies 2I of very small inner circumference may be received over theannular body I6 of the hub and mounted against lts ange I1. In order toeffect such an arrangement I have provided an annular boss 22 extendinginwardly from the outer axial extremity of the hub body I6, a pluralityof threaded studs 23 being received within this'outer axial end of thehub body and adapted to coact with suitable nuts 24 received-upon thethreaded outer ends of these studs in clamping and/or connecting theange I4 to the outer end portion 22 of the hub. By this arrangement, Iam enabled to bolt the radial flange I4 to the main .body of the hubwithout employing any projections extending beyond the main body of thehub and it may accordingly be formed with anextremely small outerdiameter adapted to receive wheel bodies having small inner diameters.

My invention also contemplates the use o1' a novel bearing mountingarrangement made necessary by this compact arrangement of parts. The twobearing assemblies constituting the full oating mounting are identicalexcept that the outer assembly A is smaller than the inner, each ofthese assemblies consisting oi' an outer raceway 26 and an inner raceway21 adapted to resol ceive rollers 28 and a suitable retaining ring 29.

A shoulder. is provided upon the inner circum- Aierence ofthe hub bodyinthe amai neighborhood of the ange I1, this shoulder being adapted to actas an outer bearing abutment for the inner bearing assembly B by reasonof the abutment of the outer axial end of the outer raceway 28 againstthe shoulder. The axle housing I0 is' provided with a shoulder 3|against which the inner axial end of the inner raceway 21 of the innerbearing assembly B is adapted to abut tov Veiiect an inner axialabutment i'or this bearing assembly.

The outer bearing assembly A is -located byv The outer bearing assemblyis held againstl this snap ring by means of a suitable nut and lockingassembly 35 adapted to be received upon the threaded outer end of theaxle housing I0. Upon the housing Ill, and interposed between the hub I5and the housing, is a suitable grease washer 25 which prevents anythrowing of oil, etc. into the brake drum and assists in retaining thelubricants within the bearings.

It will be noted that the hub is of progressively decreasing innercircumference from its axial in ner end toward its axial outer end andthat the axle housing is of progressively decreasing outer circumferencein this same direction. As a consequence of this fact both bearings maybe assembled from the inner end of the hub, the outer bearing assembly Abeing first inserted, the snap ring following this assembly and holdingit in place, and the inner bearing assembly B thereafter being inserteduntil it abuts the shoulder 30. The hub and bearing assembly is nexttelescopedwith the axle housing, being pushed inwardly over this housinguntil the inner raceway 21 of the inner bearing assembly abuts theshoulder 3| of the housing. The nuts 35 are thereafter brought home tolocate the outer bearing assembly positively against the snap ring 33.'Ihe splined sleeve I3, which effects a driving connection between thehub and axle is next inserted over the splined portion I2 of the driveshaft I I and secured thereto by means of nuts 24.

It will thus be seen that I have adequately achieved the objects of myinvention. I have not only invented a hub which is of extremely smallouter diameter which is thus capable of receiving wheel bodies of smallinner diameter, but I have also devised a full floating bearingarrangement for such a hub which is sturdy, compact and capable of rapidassembly and can mount the small inner diameter front wheels upon thefull oating axle and bearing assembly for live axle or driven wheels.

Modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art and I do nottherefore Wish to be limited except by the terms of my sub-j oinedclaims as interpreted in the light of the prior art and the genericspirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a motor vehicle, a stationary trunnion, a rotatable member sleevedupon the trunnion and having a bore of larger cross sectional dimensionat one end than at the other, a pair of axially spaced bearings betweenthetrunnion and rotatablemember, each having'an overall dimensiongreater than the dimension of the bore at yits smaller end, and beingadapted for insertion in the bore through the larger end to positionsadjacent opposite ends of the member, and means associated with therotatable member for engagement with the outermost bearing to hold thesame in position.

2. In a motor vehicle, a wheel hub having an opening to receive an axle,a bearing adapted for insertion in the opening from the inner slide ofthe hub to a position adjacent the outer side of the hub, and a splitring retainer for the bearing removably seated in an annular grooveinteriorly of the hub and provided with a shouldered portion for theengagement of a tool for moving the ring out of the seat.

3. In a motor vehicle, inner and outer relatively rotatable-members, theinterior of said outer member being smaller at one end than at theother, a

' bearingbetween the members, said bearing being of greater diameterthan the smaller interior dimension of said outer member, a retainer onone member for engagement with one side of the bearing, and a snap ringretainer seated Within a groove in the other member for engagement with-the opposite side of the bearing.

4. In a motor vehicle, an axle housing, a drive axle within the housing,a rotatable wheel hub sleeved on the housing and drive connected withthe shaft, a pair of axially spaced bearings between the hub and housinginwardly of the connection between the hub and shaft, the hub receivingthe bearings from the inner end thereof, and locating means to hold oneof the bearings near the outer end of the hub and against inward axialdisplacement.

5. In a drive axle assembly for. motor vehicles, an axle housing for adrive shaft, a. wheel hub sleeved on the housing, a bearing interposedbetween the hub and housing, an end portion integral with thehub andextending radially inwardf beyond the perimeter of the bearing forconnec opening to receive an axle, said opening being of y smallerdimensions at its outer end, a bearing of Alarger diameter than thesmaller portion of said opening adapted for insertion in the openingfrom the inner side of the hub to a position adjacent the outer side ofthe hub, and a split ring retainer for the bearing removably seated inan annular groove interiorly of the hub.

7. In a motor vehicle, an axle housing, a drive shaft within thehousing, a wheel hub recessed from its inner end and rotatably mountedupon the housing, a drive connection between said shaft and the outerend of the hub, a pair of axially spaced bearings between the hub andhousing receivable within the hub from its inner end, and locating meansreceivable within the hub after one of the bearings is inserted andvremovably associated with the hub" near its outer end to hold saidbearing against inward displacement.

8. A full oating bearing assembly for vehicle Wheels comprising ncombination, a vehicle hub having an inner periphery successivelystepped downwardly from its axial inner end to its axial outer end -toprovide successive zones for the reception of bearings, whereby theinner surface of said hub presents no projections obstructing theinsertion of successive bearing assemblies Within said hub from itsinner axial extremity, in-

ner and outer bearing assemblies received withstepped downwardly fromits axial inner end to its axial outer end to provide successive zonesfor the reception of bearings, whereby the inner surface of said hubpresents no projections obf structing the insertion of successivebearing-assemblies Within said hub rfrom its inner axial extremity,inner and outer bearing assemblies received Within said hub, meanscoacting with said hub to locate the outer bearing assembly, an axlehousing provided with an abutment adapted to coact with an abutment uponthe inner periphery of the hub to locate the inner bearing assembly, andmeans coacting with said axle housing and said rst-named means to locatethe outer axial bearing assembly.

1D. A full oating bearing assembly for vehicle wheels comprising incombination, a vehicle hub having an inner periphery successivelystepped downwardly from its axial inner end to its axial outer end toprovide successive zones for the reception of bearings, whereby theinner surface of said hub presents no projections obstructing theinsertion of successive bearing assemblies within said hub from itsinner axial extremity, inner and outer bearing assemblies receivedwithin said hub, a locking ring coacting with said hub to locate theouter bearing assembly, an axle housing provided with an abutmentadapted to coact with an abutment upon the inner periphery of the hub tolocate the inner bearing assembly, and means coacting with said axlehousing and said locking ring to locate the outer axial bearingassembly.

11. A bearing assembly for a full floating axle, comprising incombination, a. wheel, an axle housing.. having exterior threads on theend thereof, a driving axle withinsaid housing, inner and outer bearingsfor said hub, said inner bearing being located axially by a shoulder onsaid axle housing and a shoulder within said hub, said outer bearingbeing located by a threaded collar on said axle housing and a removableloeating ring tting in an annular groove in said hub axially inward ofsaid outer bearing.

PAUL E. BAKER.

